Concept Sketches · 8 scenes
Balcony corners: bench cushions for the smallest outdoor rooms
A balcony is a corner with weather. Eight small seats from past orders, measured, and the fabric line each one sits on.
SaveThe quick answer
A balcony bench cushion needs outdoor fabric wherever rain can reach it; indoor linen or velvet works only under a closed roof with no rain or direct sun. Measure seat and back as a stack: the backrest height is the bench-to-top height minus the seat thickness. Add fabric ties so wind can't lift the cushions, and store them indoors for the off-season.
Weather gets the first say
A balcony is a corner with weather, and the weather gets the first say.
Most of the balcony bench cushions that reach my table are small: one bench, a chair pad or two, a wedge cut to a curve of rattan. Small is not the same as simple. A balcony catches wind a backyard patio never feels, and rain finds the front edge of a roof that looked like plenty.
So I ask two things before color. Does rain reach the seat? And where will the cushions spend the winter? Under a real, closed roof, indoor fabric can work. Anywhere rain gets in, it's outdoor fabric.
Straight talk on that fabric, friend. Buyers ask for branded acrylics, quick-dry foam and mesh bottoms. The workshop carries no branded acrylic and no quick-dry foam as standard; a mesh base has been built on request for some projects, so ask. It makes a UV-resistant, water-repellent polyester outdoor fabric with outdoor-suitable inserts, good in showers and spills, water-resistant rather than sealed. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract.
The eight seats below are past orders, sizes included. Browse outdoor cushions and patio and porch cushions, and rough out your bench in the bench cushion builder. Which does your balcony get more of, sun or wind?
Eight small seats, measured for the weather
01A past project
A ninetieth birthday on the balcony
A buyer wrote to the workshop fitting out a balcony for a father's 90th birthday: a 19.7 x 47.2 in (50 x 120 cm) seat 4 in (10 cm) thick, an 11.8 x 47.2 in (30 x 120 cm) backrest 2 in (5 cm) thick, two 15.7 in (40 cm) square chair pads, and a 19.7 x 15.7 in (50 x 40 cm) wall cushion, 2 in thick, for the spot where he likes to lean. The backrest stands on the seat, so the seat's 4 in comes off the height before the back is cut.
The takeaway: Measure from the bench to where the back should stop, subtract the seat thickness, and order that as the backrest height.
02A past project
One wedge from a round rattan sofa
A buyer got in touch needing a single segment of a round rattan sofa. The wedge measured 43.3 in (110 cm) on the outer arc, 16.9 in (43 cm) on the inner arc, 19.7 in (50 cm) on each side and 11.4 in (29 cm) of curve depth, to be 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) thick in smoke-gray outdoor fabric. Five numbers and the shape closes. Miss one and it doesn't.
The takeaway: For a wedge, draw both arcs, both sides and the curve depth on one sketch before you ask for a quote.
03A past project
Fifty-six wanted, forty-eight made
A couple in the US wanted a 56 x 56 in (142 x 142 cm) corner floor cushion to fill an indoor patio. The quarter-round's standard maximum is 48 in (122 cm) per side, so they settled on the 48. Better to learn the ceiling before the room is planned around it.
The takeaway: Check the largest size a shaped cushion comes in before you plan the corner around it.
04A past project
Cream under a roof, outdoor fabric anyway
A buyer got in touch with a covered terrace and two long cream cushions, about 66.9 x 9.8 in (170 x 25 cm) and 86.6 x 28.3 in (220 x 72 cm). A roof like that can take regular fabric, but they chose the water-repellent outdoor range anyway. Cream shows every mark, and the outdoor cloth handles showers and spills well.
The takeaway: If the cushion is pale and the terrace sees drinks and weather, outdoor fabric earns its place even under cover.
05A past project
Corduroy stays inside
A buyer messaged the workshop asking whether corduroy could go on a covered outdoor terrace. The workshop said no. Indoor corduroy is affected by UV and water, roof or no roof, and the workshop pointed them to outdoor fabric instead. The pink corduroy corner in the photo is where corduroy belongs: indoors, by a window, with the rain on the other side of the glass.
The takeaway: Choose the shape you love, then make it in outdoor fabric for the terrace.
06A past project
Ties against the wind
Buyers with balconies ask the workshop how to keep a cushion from lifting off in the wind. Fabric ties sewn into the seams do the job: at the corners, along the back, in any position you mark. The same ties hold a backrest to its seat or keep a stacked pair together, and double piping gives a back cushion enough structure to stay in place without straps.
The takeaway: Mark on your sketch where the frame can take a tie, and ask for ties at exactly those points.
07A past project
A corner bench with hard edges
A buyer in the US ordered a seat, back cushion and arm pillows for a new wooden bench in a room corner, 25 in (64 cm) deep and 74 in (188 cm) long. The seat arrived about 27 in (69 cm) deep and overhung the frame; a good shake brought it to about 26 in (66 cm), and handmade pieces can vary 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm). Built-in balcony benches have the same hard edges.
The takeaway: When a cushion sits inside a fixed frame, order the depth a little under the frame.
08A past project
Seat and back are two numbers
A buyer in the US ordered tufted velvet cushions for two couches. The workshop first assumed seat and back were both 24 x 58 in (61 x 147 cm); the buyer corrected it to 14 x 58 in (36 x 147 cm) backrests on 24 x 58 in seats. Later came a corner floor couch, untufted this time, because the cats pull buttons.
The takeaway: Write the seat and backrest sizes separately on the order, even when the lengths match.
Roof, rail or open sky: which fabric for which balcony
Find your balcony on one of these rows before you pick a color. Indoor cushions on a covered porch has the long version, and water-repellent vs waterproof explains the word on the workshop's outdoor cloth. Swatches live under outdoor fabrics and water-repellent fabrics. If your balcony has screens, read screened porch cushions next.
| The balcony | What reaches the cushion | What to make it in |
|---|---|---|
| Recessed under a closed roof | No rain, no direct sun | Indoor linen, velvet or soft fabric; none is waterproof |
| Covered, but open to the air | Pollen, dust, humid air | Outdoor fabric, samples first; any seat, back or bolster |
| Open to the sky | Rain, full sun, wind | Outdoor fabric with ties; indoors for the long off-season |
| Any balcony, corduroy or chenille asked for | UV and water, roof or not | Keep those indoors; choose outdoor fabric |
Six numbers to send before a balcony quote
- Each wall run the bench touches, labeled on a paper sketch.
- Seat depth, measured straight out from the wall at 90 degrees.
- Backrest height: bench to where the back should stop, minus the seat thickness.
- For a curve or wedge: both straight sides, both arcs and the depth of the curve.
- Where the ties go: corners, back, or both.
- A wide photo of the whole balcony from across it, and a note on whether rain reaches the seat.
A balcony is a corner with weather: if rain reaches the seat, the cushion gets outdoor fabric and ties at the corners.
Callum
Small-space questions buyers keep asking
- A common question
My balcony bench has two corners cut at an angle. Can the cushion follow them?
The workshop's answerYes. Clipped corners are no problem: 3 in (7.5 cm) off two corners, both front corners angled, or one back corner removed. Order through the trapezoid and custom-shape listing, sized by the widest depth and longest length, and upload a drawing showing how far each corner cuts in along both sides. The corners are cut exactly to the drawing, and fabric from any listing can be used by writing its code in the notes.
- A common question
When you call the outdoor cushions waterproof, do you mean sealed?
The workshop's answerNo. They're made from a separate water-repellent outdoor range with its own color chart, sent on request. In practice it's water-resistant rather than a sealed, coated material: it handles rain showers and spills well, and outdoor seats and backs get outdoor-suitable inserts. On one bigger project the buyer ordered a single cushion first to check the fit; that one took about 5 days to make and 3 to 4 days to deliver. Store them indoors for long off-seasons.
- A common question
Can you make a floor cushion shaped to a corner, with backs, and what do you need from me?
The workshop's answerYes. Send the shape and measurements before you order, with a few photos taken from a distance and a sketch if you have one. For a curved corner, the two straight sides are enough to calculate the curve. With backrests, the workshop checks whether your numbers are wall sizes and take the height from the floor to the top of the backrest; one end can be widened for an open corner. Any size-based customization fee is confirmed up front.
Have it made
Have an idea like this made — ask Callum’s workshop
Short list: size, sun hours, how fast it has to dry. The workshop goes through it with you. — Callum
Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.
Questions buyers ask next
Is there a branded acrylic option for balcony bench cushions?
No. The workshop doesn't stock branded acrylic, and the standard cushions have no quick-dry foam or mesh bottom; a mesh base has been built on request for some projects. The outdoor line is a UV-resistant, water-repellent polyester fabric with outdoor-suitable inserts, best on a covered balcony or brought in for winter. The outdoor cushion fabric Pattern compares the fibers.
Will a floor-cushion backrest stand up on its own on a balcony?
No. Floor-cushion backrests aren't freestanding; they lean against a wall. If your balcony corner has a railing instead of a wall behind the seat, a back-supported version or a metal frame can be arranged so the backrest stands without one. Ties can then hold it to the seat.
How should I measure a wedge cushion for a round outdoor sofa?
Measure the outer arc along the front, the inner arc at the center, both straight sides and the depth of the curve. One wedge from a round rattan sofa came to a 43.3 in outer arc, a 16.9 in inner arc and 19.7 in sides. The trapezoid cushion calculator and chord, rise and radius help.
Where should balcony cushions go for the winter?
Indoors, for any long off-season. The outdoor fabric is water-resistant rather than sealed, so it handles showers and spills, not a whole winter of weather. Clean and dry the cushions first; the winter storage Pattern has the routine, and corner floor cushions covers the quarter-round shapes.
